OU radio station competes for MTV award

In addition to being named College Station of the Year by the Michigan Association of Broadcasters Foundation, Oakland University’s student radio station is up for a huge national award.

WXOU has been nominated for an mtvU Woodie Award for the top college radio station, but it needs help to win.

For the first time, the station is in the top 25 student-run stations, but it needs votes to make it to the top 10 round and qualify to receive the award.

Sean Varicalli, station manager at WXOU, believes this honor would be big for both WXOU and the university.

“It’s super rewarding and it’s amazing to be in the top 25,” said Varicalli, a senior communication major. “We just need help getting in the top 10.”

It is the only radio station in the Detroit area and one of two in the state to be nominated for the award. The other station is Michigan State University’s WDBM.

WXOU previously won the Michigan Association of Broadcasters Station of the Year award in 2012 and 2013.

“People should vote for us, because we’re the back-to-back College Station of the Year here in Michigan. We work really hard to cover things here in the community,” Varicalli said. “We’re really trying to stay true to college radio ... by playing local and independent artists. ... I think we do a really great job of that.